Jerry Sadowitz and my Honey Flap

No, no to the venue staff at the Pleasance, Edinburgh, being able to pull Jerry Sadowitz's show because it doesn't 'align with their values'.

During Jack and the Beanstalk, in 204, one of my Dame Trott costumes was late out of the workshop. It was a beehive. There was a nylon thread attached, but because of the bulge in the beehive, I couldn't see where this thread led to or what happened when it got there.

Wearing the new costume, I went onstage to meet the King, played by Brendan Coach Trip Sheerin. The King's coach had broken down. Brendan's opening line was, 'Hello, my good woman, I bet you'd like to help with my big end and lubricate my dipstick.'

I pulled my thread. Brendan looked down. Apparently, I had just opened a tiny drawbridge in the lower part of the hive.

Innocently, he said, 'Is that your flap where honey comes out?'

The adults out front giggled, tensed for my reply. I said right to them, 'The kids won't understand what his majesty might be meaning, and if they do: we'll blame your slum parenting.'

It got such a lovely laugh, Brendan and I decided to leave the exchange in the scene, ongoing.

The company manager asked us to cease and desist. 'The front of house staff have insisted. They say the King's line is borderline smut.'

I said, 'No, it's not borderline smut, it's smut smut. But not so on the nose as the King's opening, scripted, lines. And it got a big laugh. It can't have offended many members of the audience...'

'No, not the audience. The front of house staff themselves need us to cut it.'

And he supported them. The line was cut.

When I saw the front of house staff responsible - they knew I knew - they were so terribly, casually smug.

Because that's what it's about - power craziness.

#jerrysadowitz #edinburghfringe #pantomime

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